Suspected gang member arrested in Yuba City

Robert Summa, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·2 min read

Sep. 13—A suspected Blood gang member was arrested Monday in Yuba City in relation to a previous arrest that also involved a possible gang member who allegedly attempted to sell cocaine to undercover agents in a Walmart parking lot in August.

According to the Yuba Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET-5), 46-year-old Rayshon Bishop of Yuba City allegedly supplied cocaine to 24-year-old Jakiem Gerard Halstead of Yuba City.

Halstead, a "previously documented member," was allegedly found to be in possession of 15.40 grams of cocaine for the purpose of sales. Undercover NET-5 agents had been in contact with Halstead before his arrest. Allegedly, he had agreed to sell undercover agents cocaine.

After arriving at the parking lot of the Walmart in Yuba City, Halstead was immediately taken into custody, Michael Bullard with NET-5 previously said. Halstead was allegedly driven to the parking lot by a person believed to be his father, 46-year-old Samegod Allah Halstead of Sacramento, who was eventually released from the scene.

"Jakiem Gerard Halstead is a previously documented member of a local subset of the Blood criminal street gang known as 'SGE' or 'The Slim Gang,'" Bullard said in a statement. "Jakiem Gerard Halstead was on active parole with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) at the time of the incident. According to the CDCR, Jakiem Gerard Halstead was released from prison on July 29th, 2022, after serving just 2 years and 11 months of his 9 years 8-month commitment."

Bullard said Halstead had pleaded guilty in August 2019 in a Sutter County court for charges related to a gang-related shooting that occurred in Yuba City and left one person shot.

During the course of the Walmart investigation, Bullard said NET-5 agents developed information indicating that Halstead had allegedly been supplied the cocaine he possessed for sale by fellow Blood gang member Bishop.

After obtaining a search warrant for two residences in Yuba City that were believed to be under the dominion and control of Bishop, NET-5 agents — with the assistance of the Yuba City Police Department and the Sutter County Sheriff's Office Investigations Unit — executed a search warrant on Bishop and his two Yuba City residences located in the 300 block of Grant Way and the 1700 block of Hunt Street.

That search allegedly resulted in the discovery of a loaded firearm, cocaine, packaging, ecstasy, and $3,790 in Bishop's home on Hunt Street, Bullard said.

"Bishop, a convicted felon, was contacted and detained a few blocks away from his residence," Bullard said.

Bishop was arrested and booked into Sutter County Jail for charges that include conspiracy to sell narcotics, possession of a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of ecstasy (MDMA).

This investigation was sent to the Sutter County District Attorney's Office.